Method of and apparatus for separating leaks from tight cans



arch 4 1924.

A. R. THOMPSON METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LEAKS FROM TIGHTCANS Filed June 20 1923 iNVENTOR Q55? mm h ATTORNEY katented Mar. 4,1924.

snar

ALBERT R. THOMPSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T ANDERSON-BARN-GROVER MFG. 70., (9F SAN 305E, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SEEARATING- LEAKS FROM TIGHT GANSTApplication died June 29, 2923. Serial N0. 646,576.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALBERT R. THoMrsoN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county ofSanta Clara and a State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Separating LeaksFrom Tight Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, in general, to the canning art and particularly toa method. of and apparatus for separating the leaks from the tight cans.My method and apparatus while adapted for the detection and separationof defective cans, known in the art as leaks from the perfect or tightcans, in which products of any nature are hermetically sealed, areespecially applicable to comestible filled cans, durin the heat treatingor sterilizing process. way of example, I may mention the sterilizing ofmilk in hermetically sealed cans, the treatment of which comprises thepreheating of the cans whereby they are subjected to a 2 aduallincreasing temperature ran oin ab ut 40 F. at which they enter il ipreheating efi'ect to about 200 F. at which they leave it, and arethence conducted to the sterilizing efi'ect. Another example is thecommon process known in the art as cook ing in which sealed canscontaining any food or other product are subjected to a cookingtemperature and are then carried to a cooling effect. To either of theseexamples my method and apparatus are particularly applicable and arebest utilized in the first example between the discharge of the heatedcans from the preheating efl'ect and their entrance into the sterilizingefi'ect; and in the second example between the delivery of the heatedcans from the cooking effect and their arrival in the cooling efiect.These are not, however, the only examples of their application, asothers will readily occur to those skilled in the canning art.

In heating product-filled sealed cans it is a fact that the ends ofthose cans which are preferably tight bulge quite appreciably under theheat treatment, while the ends of those'cans which are not ti ht andwhich are known as leaks do not ulge to the same degree or do not bulgeat all according to the extent of the leak. It is this fact that I takeadvantage of and upon which my invention is based; and which results inthe separation of the leaks from the tight cans.

My invention, therefore, consists essentially in automaticallyseparating the two kinds of previously heated product-filled sealed cansaccording to their difference due to their property of end-bulging underheat. it also consists in the successive steps of and means for firstheating the cans suflicientlyto provide for a normal end bulge and thenautomatically separating according to their difl'erence of end bulgethose cans which fully respond to a normal bulge from those which donot, the former being the tight cans and the latter the leaks. In theaccompanying drawings I show a simple apparatus for separating the leaksfrom the tight cans according to my method. It will be understood,however, that the method is not dependent upon nor confined to thisapparatus, as other forms which are adapted for taking advantage ofdifferences in size or shape may be used.

Fig. l of the drawings is a side elevation i I partly broken in theupper portion of the can-selecting member. F Fig. 2 is a section on theline 2-2 of The numeral 1 indicates supporting beams. 2, in Fig. 1, is abox or shell through which the cans pass andjin which they are heated.The can advancing means within the shell and the means for applying heatare not herein shown as these may be of any character, and are wellknown in the canning art.

3 is a chute leading from the discharge of the shell 2.

4 is a can selecting member mounted for rotation by means of alshaft 5journaled in boxes 6 and driven by a pulley 7, Fig. 2. The selectingmember 4 comprises s aced disks, the inner opposing faces of whic arewalled region 4" and terminates on a line at the base of said regidnabout at the beginnmg of its upper descending quadrant. 10,

in Fig. 1, indicates the cans without distinc- 7 lEig. 2.

10" are the cans known as leaks and which have not fully responded orhave not responded at all to the end bulging efiect.

ofthe'heat, so that their ends are not "fully bulged or are not bulgedat all, as shown in Fig. 2. The method carried out in this apparatus isas follows. The product-filled sealed cans are carried in continuousprocession through the box 2, and are therein heated. The temperature'towhich they are subjected varies according to the character of theproduct and to the object of the treatment. For example, inprocessingmilk, as hereinbefore stated, the cans enter-the box at about 40 F. andare gradually raised to about 200 F. Under this heat, or under a 1temperature in excess of this, as for example, in cooking, the ends ofthe tight cans appreciably bulge, While the ends of theleaks,.laccording to the amount of the leak, bulge to a less extent ordo not bulge at all. In Fig. l the cans marked 10 shown coming from theheating box, may comprise all tight cans or all leaks, or some of bothkinds. When a tight can 10' reaches the disks of the selecting member ait passes into the flaring outer region 4:" and on account of itsbulging ends it becomes lightly wedged in said region as seen in Fig. 2and cannot pass down therein belowv the functional level of the door ofthe upper delivery chute 9, so that when by the rotation of the disks itreaches said door it will pass out into said chute, as is shown in Fig.l.

But when a .leak 10" reaches the disks of the selecting member 4 itwill, on account of its lesser-bulging or non-bul ing ends pass freelyacross the flaring region a" of the disks and will continue along thefloor 3, across the parallel inner region 4: of the disks and across theopposite side of the daring region and into the lower delivery chute 8,as seen in Fi l.

The leaks are thus detected and separated from the tight cans, and thelatter are continuously passed to their intended reaches destination,according to the treatment in progress.

I claim 1. The method of separating the leaks from the ti ht,product-filled, sealed cans, comprising rst exposing the cans ina'heated region adapted to bulge the ends of some cans, leaving othersnon end-bulged; and then automatically presenting all the cans to aspace closed to the passage of the endbulged cans but open to thepassage of the non end-bulged cans.

2. In the heat treatment of products confined in hermetically sealedcans, the method of separating the leaks from the tight cans comprisingfirst passing a procession of cans through a heated region adapted tobulge the ends of some cans, leaving others non end-bhlged; dischargingthe procession of cans from said heated region; and then presenting theprocession of cans to a space closed to the passage of the end-bulged,cans, but open to the passage of the non endbulged cans.

3. An apparatus for separating the leaks from the tight, product-filled,sealed cans, comprising means for subjecting the cans to heat adapted tobulge the ends of som "cans, leaving others non-end bulged; and meanscoacting with the can ends adapted to form a space closed to the passageof the end-bulged cans,but open to the passage of the non end-bulgedcans.

4:. An apparatus for separating the leaks from the tight,product-filled, sealed cans, comprising means for subjecting the cans toheat adapted to bulge the ends of some cans, leaving othersnon-end-bulged; means for'advancing the cans in procession through saidheating means; means for discharging the procession of cans; and meansassociated with said discharging means, coacting with the can ends,adapted to form a space closed to the passage of the end bulged cans butopen to the passage of the non-end bulged cans, said space automaticallydividing the can procession into separate lines; and means forseparately de livering said divided lines.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to "this specification.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON.

